What is the difference between == and Equals() in C#?
What is the difference between == and Equals() in C#?
291
11-Mar-2025
Khushi Singh
18-Mar-2025The C# programming language employs two comparison operators == and Equals() to evaluate objects but it functions distinctively according to object types. The == operator checks equal values in value types while it tests reference equality in reference types. The = operator checks the value directly when it encounters integer numbers or basic values to determine their identity. When operators encounter reference types including objects they verify that both references match the same memory address unless the class specifically modifies this behavior. When using == to compare different object instances the comparison results to false because they exist in separate memory areas.
The Equals() method operates as a built-in functionality of the Object class that assesses object content instead of linking references. Equals() functions identically to == to verify if two reference types address corresponding memory blocks during its default operation. Custom classes can implement the Equals() method for performing meaningful object data equality checks rather than reference-based comparisons. The method offers valuable functionality for determining if two different memory locations hold equivalent contents such as identical strings.
The key difference between the two lies in their behavior for reference types. The == operator performs reference equality by default yet Equals() enables developers to customize object comparison based on data content which makes it adaptable to deep equality test situations. Override the Equals() method in custom classes to enable data-based meaningful comparison instead of memory location comparison.